The Chain
by Rebellwithoutacause
Summary: As endless as the tide, as destructive as wildfire, cleansed by the storm. This is who they are. Unyielding as steel, but even metal can be molded, and so too can they change each other, but first, they have to let it in... (A series of snapshot looks at Rey and Kylo's developed relationship in The Last Jedi. NO spoilers.)
1. The Chain

_**Wow, so, it's been a really freaking long time since I've posted here. Life things have happened, it is what it is. But, be still my heart. I saw The Last Jedi in theaters today, and holy hell. I Feel all the Feelings! So, here we are, with a ficlet. Hopefully I got the characterizations in-canon, I really did my best. This takes place shortly after TLJ ends. This was just something I wrote to kind of process my feelings, so hopefully you dear readers enjoy. If you do, please let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts.**_

 _ **Warnings: There's not really any 'spoilers' in this, because it doesn't give away any major plot points from the movie, but it does explore the expanded relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey that was developed in TLJ.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or the universe from which they came.**_

She closed the door, but she couldn't block him out at night. In her dreams, when her conscious defenses were lowered, when she could do nothing but ride the ebb and flow of the Force as it moved through her mind, he would come to her.

Tonight she roamed a forest, the greenery around her dark and flush with life. Above her the sky roiled with the promise of a storm as the wind tussled her hair. She could feel the crackle of electricity from the sky drifting between the trees. If she paused and listened hard enough, she swore the trees were speaking to each other, whispering in a language she couldn't quite make out. The smell of the coming storm, all ozone and untamed energy called out to her. As always in her dreams, she did not resist. She ran, chasing the energy, the raw power, allowing herself to breathe it deep into her lungs, to feel it caress her face, to whip and swell all around her until finally she cleared the tree-line and emerged into a small clearing. Where he was waiting.

"Hello, Rey."

She paused, refusing to show anxiety or fear. He unnerved her still, even after all this time, after all the moments their minds had touched. She struggled not just with understanding how he could make the choices that he had, but knowing how closely she walked that fine line herself.

"You shouldn't be here."

A muscle in his cheek twitched, but otherwise his face remained devoid of expression. Except his eyes. His eyes flashed like the sky above them, and instead of the electricity of the storm, the power that now snapped between the two of them was their own making.

"So order me away."

Rey stepped forward now, but remained out of striking range. "Go," she growled through gritted teeth.

Now he smirked, just a touch, but there was no real humor there. "Like you mean it, Rey."

In this dream they were both unarmed, and she couldn't deny how badly she missed the weight of her staff, the comforting grip of the light-saber. She refused to back down as he approached, though her heart began to pound behind her sternum as the distance between them began to shrink.

"You can't, can you?" he asked her, the stony tone of his voice morphing into something softer, like an animal's pelt.

"Because you feel it too." His next step brought them almost nose to nose, and now Rey couldn't help but stepping back. She knew it was wrong to give ground, that he would only press his advantage, but if she could not fight, then her best plan was to flee.

"You're not really afraid of me, are you?" he continued as he took another step forward. Sucking in another short breath, Rey took another step back, longing to escape, to wake up, but it would seem this was one dream she wouldn't be able to shake herself awake from, like so many of the others as of late.

Kylo shook his head once, his thick hair becoming tussled from the wind whipping through the clearing. He was so close now that she could smell him, and she realized all at once it wasn't the storm she'd been scenting before, but him. All that raw power and infectious energy was working its way through her, rooting itself deep beneath her skin and spreading outwards, making her entire body quiver with indecision.

"No. You're not afraid of me. You're afraid of you."

"That I'll become like you," she shot back, but she couldn't erase the tremor in her voice.

"And what's that? Powerful? So much so that I killed the founder of the First Order? Powerful enough to send the mighty Luke Skywalker into hiding?"

"You murdered your own father." The words bit the air with teeth of their own as Rey lifted her chin in defiance against the man over her. "You tried to murder me."

She saw the flash of doubt, the anger, the pain of the past, all of it seething inside of him, and it made her burn with satisfaction to see it in his eyes. It was always his problem. His emotions lay so close to the surface, it was all too easy to use.

"I have done things in anger," he admitted. "But so have you." Her eyes locked onto the scar that traced down his face and knew the truth of his words.

"You felt it." He was whispering now, his voice soft enough that the closeness between them was needed in order to hear. "In the throne room, you felt it. We are bound, Rey. We match each other perfectly. We are what we each have been searching for our whole lives."

He stretched his hand out. "Please. Let me show you."

She held his gaze, and she realized he was waiting for her consent. He was waiting for her to invite him in. Her training with Luke, however brief, screamed that she should withdraw, run, hide, do anything but proceed, and yet her instincts whispered the opposite. The mad tugging deep within her soul could not be ignored, it could not be chained down. She blinked her eyes once, and braced for when his ungloved hand cupped her cheek.

She expected lightening to strike her the second they made contact. She expected to feel an explosion like a blaster to the chest. But the feeling was so much _more._ So encompassing. Suddenly the howl of the wind surrounding them was silent. The swirling vortex of never ending chaos that had become her life ever since she'd been pulled into the war was suddenly _quiet._

She kept her eyes open, locked onto Kylo's light brown, almost golden irises. Suddenly she couldn't control herself anymore. The door she'd been holding shut against him swung wide open, and instantly so much of _him_ poured into her. The violence of the storm, the never ending push and pull of the tide, the swell of the wind, all focused into a narrow focal point that he could wield like a bullwhip, snapping and cracking with bone crunching power. It was as magnetic as it was terrifying. There was so much to process, she could barely contain it. Her eyes snapped shut and she felt herself trembling, but suddenly there was a second hand on the other side of her face, steadying her.

She inhaled a deep breath. Balance. She had seen the darkness, felt it swelling from deep inside her until it was so close to swallowing her whole, but she would not lose herself. She flexed the power in her mind, striking her own blow. Sunlight like an ignited light-saber pierced through the violence of Kylo's mental storm and suddenly the chaos began to subside. The wind slowed to a calm breeze, the lightening faded and the thunder gave one last echo as it unwound its last tenor. The crushing power of the ocean receded into slow moving eddies.

In unison they both exhaled and Rey slowly began to realize that now they were basically nose to nose, breathing in each other's breath. The longer they remained tied together, the less she could deny how much she was drawn to that raging storm inside him, how fascinated she was by its movements, how much she wanted to test herself against it, to feel it wash over her again and again. As every second passed, she could sense the same hunger in him, growing wilder and more ferocious with every heartbeat until finally both their chains snapped and they collided in the middle in a blistering kiss.

Now everything exploded. Volcanos fired, lightening careened into the earth, suns burst apart at their very core, sending their life-giving stardust raining down. Her hands dug deep into his tangled hair as she fought to hold onto any semblance of control, even as every movement brought her closer to completely splitting apart. It was all so much that she didn't know if she would survive it, but when Kylo surged against her, picking her up and holding her against his chest, high enough so that he was now arched up to kiss her, she felt the purest bolt of ecstasy she'd ever known strike her straight in the chest. She was truly riding the lightening, holding on for dear life, for everything she had. In that moment, she didn't care if it destroyed her, if this is how she had to die, she couldn't have asked for anything more.

Kylo's breath was ragged as his brain spun dizzying circles of confusion, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He needed her, more and more and more, washing over him like the cleanest water he'd ever seen. She rushed into him and instead of drowning him, she settled the raging wildfire until he was a single streamlined bolt of intent. He groaned with the feeling, hungry for even more, unable to stop himself. He asserted his own power, melting the forest away, behind their closed eyes, turning the scene into his quarters on his ship. Still clutching Rey close he tipped them backwards onto his bed, allowing her to remain on top of him. Her hands grappled for purchase against his shoulders as if desperately clinging to an unstable life-raft. He let his palms stroke over her back until he found the edge of her belt and unclipped it, letting the leather fall to the floor. She exhaled sharply but did not resist, instead digging her fingers into the hem of his shirt, hauling it up over his head until his chest was bear before her. He pushed himself upright so her weight shifted to his lap even as their eyes found each other once more.

"Rey," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, breathing in her breath for a moment. He didn't know what he had been trying to say, if he'd been trying to say anything at all. All he knew was how much he wanted her, how he craved her presence in his mind. And he could feel the same in her, how she admired his power, its draw for her, that dangerous wonder.

"Come back with me," she whispered, letting her eyes close even as her arms draped around his neck. She knew the truth, she could feel it burning between both of them, and she swore her heart was cracking apart inside her chest. She held on for as long as she could, allowing herself this weakness because it was only in her mind and no one else could see. Their voices interwove together, distinct but perfectly blended in the same moment.

"Come back with me."

When Rey's eyes snapped open, she was lying in her quarters on the _Millennium Falcon,_ a single tear streaming down her cheek.


	2. Heat

**_I'm back again! What can I say. TLJ got my muse all worked up. So, I'm just going to keep writing bits and pieces as the mood strikes. If you guys enjoy, please let me know! Also, just for some context, this is just a hypothetical situation that could possibly take place in future shortly after TLJ._**

 ** _Warnings: Vague mentions from TLJ concerning Rey and Kylo's backgrounds. Nothing direct or concrete, but proceed at your own risk if you haven't watched the film._**

The _Millennium Falcon_ had landed on a planet far in the outer-rim in order to resupply and to give the crew a brief rest. They wouldn't be here long, less the First Order come baring down on them once again.

This place had colors that reminded her of Jakku, deep reddish and orange earthen tones, but instead of mountains of never-ending sand, there were towering spires of rock carved into fantastical and unrealistic shapes thanks to the wind and the erosive power of the sandy soil. Chewy had been complaining endlessly about how the sand would damage already worn down and exposed parts of the _Falcon,_ but the constant dust-storms on this planet would help hide what remained of the Resistance until they were strong enough to risk flying deeper into the galaxy to seek out their allies. Rey had already spent most of the day with Chewy, helping him make necessary repairs and maintenance to the ship, and then after had spent time with Finn hauling water deep from within the mountain cave they were sheltered in. Finn had suggested she use the Force to bring the water up from its deeply buried spring, but Rey had refused, instead helping to rig a pulley-system machine in order to raise the water manually.

"Where are you going, Rey?"

She'd been trying to make a sneaky get-away from the main cave in order to get some time to herself. She never thought she'd want to be away from other people after all her isolation on Jakku, but she could feel the gnawing restlessness eating away at her, that repetitive nudge for quiet and solace.

"I just need some air," she said, hoping it came off casually.

Instantly she could tell Finn wasn't buying it. He stepped over a small droid scuttling by with a bucket of water and approached her, taking her by the hand gently.

"We're going to be ok," he said firmly. "I know it looks bad right now, but we can't give up."

At that moment she almost had to blink back tears. "I'm not leaving," she promised. "I'm not running. I really just need to try and figure some things out."

Relief spread across his face, along with a mix of concern and possibly something darker. "Its the Force isn't it?"

She wouldn't answer directly and pulled her hand gently from his. She tried to take a step back, but his hand fell again on her shoulder to halt her movements.

"Look, I'm no Jedi. But I know a few things. I know that the Force, whatever it is, its a part of you. You can't ignore it."

Rey's teeth clenched, not wanting to take in what he was saying, but she couldn't deny it either. "I know," she whispered. "I just…it's like a door. If I open it, anyone can see inside. Can come in."

"Kylo Ren," Finn surmised. He squeezed her shoulder and she allowed herself the briefest moment to feel steadied at his touch.

"You're stronger than him, Rey. You beat him before you even met Luke, and you beat him again in the last battle. For all we know he's a million miles from here. He can't get to you here."

Rey let her hand cover Finn's for a brief moment. "Thank you." She squeezed his hand once before stepping back and slipping out of the cave.

It took an hour of climbing the rough, unforgiving mountain side before she found a cliff she liked. Solid underneath and shaded from the scorch of the sun behind her, she could see for miles into the desert valley spread out beneath her. Strange vine like plants that had thorns as big as her arm grew in vein like tangles down there, spreading out from the mountain's base where their roots were dug deep for water. The beginnings of another dust storm was on the horizon, but she had time.

She took her place on the outcropping, crossing her legs, letting her fingertips touch the ground, just as Luke had taught her. Her eyes closed and she let her breathing center in her belly before slowly reaching out with that indefinable part of her that was connected to the Force. Slower at first, then faster, it all began to rush into her, like water released incrementally from a damn into a barren lake-bed. She could feel the rush of life from even this harsh environment around her, the plants below, the winged creatures that lived on the walls of the cave they were sheltering in, the hum of the people moving in the cave itself. There was a calming stillness that washed over her, comforting her in a way that even her closest friend could not. She sank deeper into its pull, feeling her heart rate beginning to slow as she took in the serenity of the Light.

But in equal measure, she could feel the Dark below, its shadows a living thing, moving with sinuous strength and hurtful grace that she could not turn her eyes away from.

"Don't be afraid."

Her breath caught in her throat as shards of ice began to solidify in-between her bones. This is what she had been afraid of, knowing that if she reached out to the Force, she would hear him. Feel him. She couldn't ignore the feelings rising up inside of her, tumultuous and raw, like fangs bared between cracking lips, eyes glowing like lanterns in the shadows. She knew what that power tasted like, savory and full of spice, and she couldn't deny that she hungered for it again.

"Leave me alone." She would resist. Finn was right. She was stronger than him.

"You still need a teacher," he continued. "Someone to show you the ways of the Force."

"I had one," she spat back.

"For a few days," he scoffed. "Even if Luke had been the man the legend made him out to be, Jedi train for decades before being considered masters. You are a newly whelped pup in all of this."

"Still strong enough to beat you."

The flare of his power was almost immediate. That spice hit her straight in the nose and throat, singeing the raw, sensitive tissue there. She flinched, retreating backwards into her mind, struggling to find cover.

"Stop running," he commanded. His power closed over her, dragging her forward, and suddenly she could see him, and herself, standing face to face in a pitch-dark room, with a pale silver light shining down in between them.

"Running from what you fear gives it power over you," he continued, his voice becoming calm once again.

"And how would you know?" she countered. "Have you ever truly faced what you were most afraid of?"

"Have you?"

She looked him in the eyes now, her insides were a quivering mess of dread. She had no way of knowing what would happen if they were to come to blows in this space. Likewise, she had no way of knowing if he really would kill her. He had delivered her to Snoke, who would have done so, resisted her attempt to pull him back into the Light, had ordered all of his forces to try and bring her down in the _Falcon,_ and yet she could still feel the conflict within him, the unsteadiness, like walking on ground that was continually moving. But still she stepped forward.

"Yes," she spoke. "Because of you."

A shadow seemed to enter his eyes, darkening them markedly. "You're afraid that we're the same. That you'll fall to the Dark Side. You look at me and see the future."

"No." Her fist clenched as she spoke. "I will never be like you."

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow up for a moment before he began to pace around her, slowly narrowing the circumference of his circle.

"You were sent away as a child by parents who didn't want you. Used and manipulated for your skills. Betrayed. Drawn into a conflict you never asked for. Scared. Alone." He stood in front of her again, this time close enough she could practically feel the power humming off of him.

"Remind you of anyone?"

Unbidden and unwanted, images began to flash before her eyes. Dark nights on Jakku, huddled in a broken down ship to hide from larger predators that would have done who knows what with her. Hunger pains clawing at her belly because someone had stolen her scavenge for that day. Hoping every morning that today would be the day she'd see her parents again, and crying every night when they never appeared. For years this had been her life, until she'd finally become numb to the pain, numb to everything because if she didn't she'd never survive.

"You don't stay because you're brave" he told her in the softest voice yet. "You stay because you'd never feel again if you left."

Anger scorched through her. She latched onto its heat and swung it just like a light-saber, slicing away the tendrils he'd been wrapping around her into tattered ribbons. She snapped her power once again, visibly forcing him to take several steps back as she kicked him cleanly from her mind.

"And you would use my fears against me, just like Snoke did to you," she snarled. "If that is not the worst cowardice, then I don't know what is."

With an almighty yank, she pulled herself free, hacking the connection in half, opening her eyes and gasping for air. When her eyes adjusted, she saw that similarly on the island with Luke, she had caused a crack in the rock to appear. Except this time instead of just going a few inches, this crack reached ten feet down the cliff-side.

Millions of miles away, Kylo opened his eyes from where he was sitting on the edge of his bed in his quarters. Stretching out in front of him was gouge in the floor, splitting the entire room from the door to his bed.


End file.
